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This publicity photo provided by Brian Patrick Flynn shows furniture of this outdoor living room designed by Brian Patrick Flynn for Hayneedle.com that is arranged around an outdoor chandelier. Flynn often uses outdoor chandeliers in covered outdoor spaces to give exterior spaces the look and feel of a homey, indoor room. (AP Photo/Brian Patrick Flynn, Daniel J. Collopy)

Lots of options for outdoor lighting

Many Americans have embraced outdoor decorating, filling their yards with fluffy sofas, gleaming end tables and even outdoor rugs.

But what happens when the sun goes down?

Chris Lambton, landscape designer and host of HGTV’s “Going Yard,” advises his clients to give as much thought to the lighting of their outdoor space as they do to the furnishings.

Forget yesterday’s glaring porch light, he says. You can now choose from a wide range of much subtler lighting options. Many are inexpensive and stylish enough to quickly turn a basic patio into a chic entertaining space.

Many indoor furniture designs and fabrics are now available as outdoor items, Lambton says, and the same goes for lighting. Companies are creating outdoor versions of their most popular indoor lamps and fixtures.

Flynn is a fan of outdoor chandeliers on patios or decks that are covered: “They’re an excellent way to make any humdrum outdoor space feel like an actual room.”

But, he says, choose wisely: “To get them right, you’ve got to take scale and proportion into consideration. Install one that’s too small, and it will look like an afterthought. Install one that’s too big or hangs too low, and it will completely overwhelm the space.”

Flynn also recommends using floor lamps and table lamps designed for outdoor use. Prices vary widely (from more than $1,000 to less than $100), so he suggests hunting online for deals and the perfect style.

Another option: Create your own outdoor fixture. Many electricians can rewire your favorite indoor lighting to be safely used outside, Lambton says. “Search for whatever fixture you like,” he says, “then put an outdoor conduit in and attach it to a switch.”

GO VINTAGE

“Vintage is always a key to good lighting,” Andrews says, “indoors and outdoors.”

“Recently I got these really cool, inexpensive Moroccan lanterns” with a vintage look. Rather than simply displaying them on a table, he hung them from outdoor branches. “I had them wired for outside and hid the wires in the trees,” he explains.

When the vintage lanterns glow from the tree branches at night, it gives the yard a “romantic and kind of European feel.”

FORGET THE FLOOD LIGHT

Rather than one or two bright porch lights, all three designers suggest using a variety of softer lights.

Lambton has used faux stone blocks with LED lights hidden inside, alongside traditional lighting. Flynn has done the same with illuminated planters.

“Sneaking in ambient light in unexpected ways is something I love to do,” Flynn says. “In Los Angeles, I turned the middle of a family’s Los Feliz backyard into a full-fledged family room, comfy sectional sofa and all. To bring light to the space, I used modern, plastic planters that light up. ... This is so genius because it requires no electrician whatsoever.”

Don’t forget to light the far reaches of your yard, Lambton says. It will make your property feel bigger and banish the feeling of being enveloped by darkness when you entertain outside. It costs little to place a few small, solar-powered lights at the bases of trees and shrubs. He also suggests attaching a few to tree branches.

DON’T FORGET THE FIRE

Fire pits of all sizes — from huge outdoor fireplaces to small tabletop containers — provide golden, flickering light for your outdoor space. Display a collection of pillar candles in varying sizes (battery-powered or real), either clustered on their own or tucked inside large, glass lanterns to “add a bit of sparkle” to your yard, Andrews says.